NOTE: This article talks about Spike from Generation 4 and 5 as well its movie adaptation. Its mainstream can be found here: Spike. For his counterparts see Spike (G1), Spike (G3) and dog counterpart.
Hero Overview
Synopsis
Gallery
“
You really should lighten up, Twilight! It's a party!
„
~ Spike
“
I got nothin'.
„
~ Spike's catchphrase.
“
You're more than friends. You're my family.
„
~ Spike to Twilight, Rarity and Rainbow Dash – his most famous quote.
He is a small purple and green dragon who is Twilight Sparkle's adopted younger brother and assistant. Spike also handles communications between Twilight and Celestia, burning Twilight's written messages with his fiery breath to send them and then coughing up the scrolls Celestia sends back.
Spike serves as a bridge between the world of ponies and the world of dragons. He befriends Princess Ember and becomes Equestria's official friendship ambassador to the dragons. In the season eight episode "Molt Down," Spike undergoes a developmental stage called the "molt," gaining a pair of wings and the ability to fly.
In My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, he was voiced by Cathy Weseluck, who also voices his dog counterpart in the Equestria Girls franchise. Weseluck also voices Near in the English dub of Death Note, Shampoo in Ranma ½, Snoozer in Hamtaro, Dennis Chan in Kid vs. Kat, Buttercream Sundae in Littlest Pet Shop, Marco Van Helsing in Lobo in the English version, and previously voiced Rarity in Generation 3 of My Little Pony.
Spike is a purple dragon with green scales on his back and a round belly. From the Season 8 episode Molt Down and onwards, he grows a pair of wings due to the molt. In the final episode of the series, Spike has become a full-grown adult, now bigger than his friends, but also making him the same size as her and his wings have grown bigger and longer, making him fly more faster. In addition in becoming an adult, his body also becomes more muscular and beefier, making him stronger than any other dragon as well as creature and pony alike and his face becomes more of a full-grown dragon with his chin bigger and more manly like. He wears a gold medal around his neck as a sign that he is the ambassador of all the creatures.
As a dog, he is a purple dog with green eyes, dark purple eyebrows, bright green ears, green fur on the top of his head, a pale green underbelly, three lavender spots on his back, and sharp white teeth. He also wears an indigo dog collar with silver spikes, and a gold tag with a pink heart.
In Make Your Mark, Spike grew longer and larger than other pony and had become quadrupedal. He now has green scales alongside purple dots and friendship bracelet on his left wrist.
Personality[]
During his introduction, Spike appears to a blend of playfulness, emotional sensitivity, generosity, and occasional insecurity about his identity as a dragon. His role is often that of Twilight Sparkle's most trusted companion. His personality is characterized by an almost unconditional loyalty and a deep understanding of Twilight's needs, often anticipating them before she vocalizes them. He's her sounding board, her note-taker, and her emotional anchor.
Despite his young age and relatively small size, Spike frequently displays a strong desire to be helpful and heroic. He yearns for recognition and often puts himself in challenging situations to prove his worth, even if it means facing his fears. This earnestness makes him highly relatable. While generally good-natured, Spike has a surprisingly sharp wit and a penchant for sarcastic commentary. He often provides humorous observations on the absurdities of Ponyville life or the eccentricities of the Mane Six, acting as a comedic foil.
To the Mane Six, particularly Twilight, Spike often acts like a younger brother. He's protective of them, especially Twilight, and genuinely cares for their well-being. The big-heartedness extends to others in need, even if it puts him at a disadvantage. He often takes on many thankless tasks, from delivering letters to organizing Twilight's library. His personality is characterized by a quiet diligence, though he occasionally expresses frustration at being overlooked or taken for granted, highlighting his desire for acknowledgment.
Especially in early seasons, Spike could be socially awkward, particularly around his crushes (Rarity). This role of his personality highlights his youth and inexperience, as well as his genuine desire to be liked and accepted, sometimes leading to over-eagerness. Over the course of the series, Spike undergoes significant personal growth. His personality evolves from a more insecure and dependent individual to one who is increasingly self-assured, capable of making his own decisions, and standing up for himself and others.
As one of the few non-pony characters, Spike's personality is characterized by his unique position as a bridge between species. He understands both pony and dragon cultures, making him a valuable diplomat and demonstrating his open-mindedness. While primarily a follower, there are instances where Spike exhibits nascent leadership qualities, especially when dealing with younger dragons or in situations where the ponies are incapacitated. This showcases his potential for future leadership.
Spike often endures the eccentricities and occasional chaos caused by the Mane Six with remarkable patience. His personality is characterized by a certain resignation mixed with affection for his friends, highlighting his unwavering loyalty. In earlier episodes, Spike's desire to please or his love for gems could make him susceptible to manipulation. This makes his personality highlighted his innocence and provided opportunities for lessons in discernment and critical thinking.
Despite facing various challenges and occasional setbacks, Spike generally maintains a positive outlook. His personality is inherent optimism that helps him (and sometimes Twilight) push through difficult situations. While often composed, Spike is not afraid to express his emotions, particularly frustration or excitement. His personality allows for genuine and sometimes exaggerated emotional responses, which adds to his relatability and humor.
As one of the most prominent dragons in Equestria, Spike's personality often reflects and shapes the perception of dragons. He is characterized by a desire to show that dragons are not all inherently monstrous, acting as a positive example and cultural representative.
Powers and Skills[]
Fire Breath: Spike's signature use of his fire breath is to magically send letters and messages. When he breathes fire on a piece of paper, it is instantly transported to the recipient, most often Princess Celestia.
Claws: Spike's scales are incredibly tough, providing him with a natural form of armor. This makes him more resistant to harm than a typical pony.
Durability: Spike has shown to have extreme durability, being able to have pins pricked into his skin, and bathe in molten lava with little to no complaint.
Strength: Spike's loyalty to Twilight Sparkle and his friends is unwavering. He will go to great lengths to help them, and this loyalty often gives him the courage to face his fears.
Flight: After "The Molt Down", Spike gained wings and the ability to fly along with them. He has shown to be skilled enough in flight to contend with the Roc in combat.
Intelligence: Using his mind, Spike has been able to come up with solutions to multiple challenges, and win against uncertain odds.
Weaknesses:[]
Greed: In the episode "Secret of My Excess," his dragon greed caused him to grow to a monstrous size.
Insecurity: Spike can be jealous, as seen when he tried to frame Owlowiscious for murder because he felt like he was being replaced as Twilight's assistant.
Reception[]
The feedback Spike received is mainly positive from many fans and is one of the most loved characters of the series. Spike even gain more positive receptions after having his own set of wings on the episode "Molt Down" from Season 8.
Fans dislike the perceived "Spike abuse" (mainly in earlier seasons where Spike was either bullied or the butt of the joke for most of the episode) which in recent seasons has greatly toned down as he gains more involvement in the six's adventures.
Maybe the ponies in Ponyville have interesting things to talk about! C'mon, Twilight, just try!
„
~ Spike trying to make Twilight make friends.
“
This is hilarious! Look at all of you! We got "Hairity", "Rainbow Crash", "Spitty Pie", "Apple Teeny", "Flutterguy", and… I got nothin'. "Twilight Sparkle"… I mean, seriously. I can't even work with that.
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~ Spike mocking Twilight and her friends by the "curses".
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The dragon is the finest creature ever! There's more to it than just guarding treasure!
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~ Spike singing to Applejack a song.
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Whenever I'm afraid I'll forget something and I start to panic. I have a simple trick. I count to ten, and by the time I'm done, I've calmed myself enough to get the job right every time. Easy peasy, cider squeezy.
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~ Spike speaking with the Cutie Marks Crusaders.
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You know, it's kinda weird. No matter how many times others tell you you're great. All the praise in the world means nothing if you don't feel it inside. Sometimes, to feel good about yourself, you gotta let go of the past. That way, when the time comes to let your greatness fly, you'll be able to light up the whole sky.
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~ Spike learning his lesson.
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Just what I always wanted! A book.
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~ Spike sort of disappointed but not in front of Twilight by his Heartwarming Eve present.
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He's not a 'thing'! His name is Thorax, and he's my friend!
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~ Spike defending Thorax.
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What just… happened? (Looks at his wings) Did I just sprout wings? (Looks at the camera) I just sprouted wings!
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~ Spike amazed by his new wings after the molt.
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Huh? Sorry, Twilight. Still getting used to my new wings. They're pretty great, huh?
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~ Spike loving his wings.
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'Scuse me! Dragon on the move! Important princess documents comin' through!
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~ Spike first words in the movie.
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It'll be fine. Just remember the most important thing. (Twilight Sparkle: Smile?!) Eh… no. You're a Princess, too.
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~ Spike calming down Twilight in the Princesses castle of Canterlot.
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We are all behind you, Twilight!
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~ Spike joining Twilight and the Mane Six on the adventure.
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We could be going in… circles! Endless… sand… (inhales) Nothin' for miles… but sand… (breathes) and this rock… (coughs) and this cactus… (breathes) and this roooooooooaaaaaad… (breathes, faints, breathes) …this rooooooad…
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~ Spike lost in the desert whit his friends.
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Who you callin' a gecko?
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~ Spike insulted by one of the people of Klugetown.
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So you're delivery guys?
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~ Spike talking whit Celano and her pirate crew.
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Twilight? It's okay. You'll figure it out.
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~ Spike trying to cheer up Twilight.
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That's it, right? We didn't make friends with anypony else?
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~ Spike after everyone agrees to save Twilight.
Trivia[]
While some fans like to view Spike as Twilight Sparkle's adopted son, in the 200th episode of the series Sparkle's Seven, Twilight and Shining Armor acknowledge him as a little brother instead. It is also stated by Lauren Faust in an interview that Celestia was the one who raised Spike.
In My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Spike is the only male character with major protagonist status among the main characters of the series.
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is the first animated series that Spike (although he is a baby dragon) was in love with Rarity (although she is an adult unicorn, despite her seductive beauty).
Spike is one of the few characters of My Little Pony besides Pinkie Pie to break the fourth wall.
The Generation 4 version of Spike is the only dragon to gain wings while the other previous generations of him haven't, though this can be explained as previous incarnations not being members of winged species (in G1 other wingless dragons can be seen). G4 Spike is also the only one to age and become an adult, though surprisingly not the oldest as the G3 incarnation of Spike was already over 1000 years old as a baby.
Spike shares the same voice actress as Mayor Mare and Coco Pommel.
According to Twilight, Spike's been a part of her family since he was born.
The Break Up Break Down is the only episode in which Spike appears without any of the Mane Six.
Unlike all the previous voice actresses who returned to reprise their roles in Pony Life, including Nicole Oliver as Celestia, Cathy Weseluck hasn't returned to reprise her role as Spike, as Tabitha St. Germain voiced him instead.
Tabitha St. Germain's Spike voice sounds similar to Martha from Martha Speaks.
Eric Bauza and Patton Oswalt were originally going to be the voice of Spike before Cathy Weseluck took the role. Like Tara Strong, Eric Bauza is a Canadian voice actor in the United States.
Spike is also the fourth character of the fifth generation of My Little Pony to make his return since the previous generation. The first being Discord, the second being Twilight, and the third being Fluttershy.
Spike is currently the only character from Generation 4, and by extension, Twilight's reign, to be an active character in Generation 5.
Although Twilight Sparkle and her friends Celestia and Luna also made physical appearances throughout Generation 5 (in the film, specials, comics, episodes, and/or webisodes), it was only through imagination, messages, or flashbacks.
However, considering the comics, Spike is the second character from Generation 4 to be an active character in Generation 5, Discord being the first.
Throughout the series, Spike's voice has noticeablely gotten deeper.
